I Know My Place
by Laivin
Summary: Mourning the loss of her closest friend, Jessie finds herself in Sky High, school for the children of the world's most powerful beings. But she is disappointed to discover it to be as harsh and judgemental as her old school.
1. Heroes Don't Associate With Sidekicks

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else from _Sky High_, and make no financial gain from this story so please don't sue.

**A/N: YOU MUST READ OR YOU WONT UNDERSTAND!** I'm not too good with the American school system (being Australian and all) and so I have taken creative liberty and decided that Sky High has a two year system, Junior and Senior. Most juniors are 16 or 17, and most seniors are 17 or 18. Story takes place after the events of the movie.

**I Know My Place**

I sat on the edge of a fence waiting for my bus and listened to my all time favourite band, The Cranberries, on my mp3 player, while playing absentmindedly with my tongue bar. There was still about 5 minutes before my bus was due to arrive, and so I waited in silence, staring down at my pink converse shoes that peeked out from the hem of my black hipster cords (which were an inch too long, one of the pains of being short).

I guess I had better introduce myself. My name is Jessica Day, but everyone calls me Jessie, and am the daughter of Martin Day and Tamora Bright (otherwise known as the Lady of Light, famous Super Heroine from the 80's, now retired). My father is a simple guy, he doesn't have super powers, but he is still my hero. I know that sounds so gay, but he is one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met, one of those people who gets their kicks out of helping other people. I got lucky in the parent department.

I got my powers when I turned 12, and they surprised me a lot because they weren't anything like mum's. Instead of the power to fly and to manipulate light to create strong, and potentially lethal beams, I was a pyrokinetic. Unfortunately for me and my school, I discovered this during PE...the new gym has only just been paid for. But because all the schools in the area collaborate with Sky High (so any student's who manifests powers can be dealt with immediately) I wasn't punished and the school came up with a wonderful little cover story for me. After that my parents worked with me every day for the following four years so I could learn to control my powers, and so before I ever went to Sky High my skills were already far beyond those of all the other pyrokinetics in the school (granted there were only 3 others, but best is best).

The bus pulled up in front of me, snapping me out of my reverie and back to reality. First day at my new school. At my old school I had friends, but we were friends by default, a strange mix of people who sat together because at the end of the day, once all the groups had formed, we were the ones left over. We sat in a secluded corner talking, joking and being ourselves without any pressure to be something we weren't. And for those reasons, and probably more, we were colourfully referred to as "The Rejects". Each of us had a very unique, individual personality. There was Mel, the emotionally dependent, internet junkie who always had some sort of ailment, last time I talked to her she was having bad headaches due to her neck being out ... or something to that effect.

Thames was the token guy in the group, but he was more like one of the girls that a few of the actual girls, he was also bisexual (and not the only one) and was my personal confidant.

Kerry was the closest thing to a nerd in our group, and was also in a class all of her own, whereas we were people who didn't really fit in anywhere, she was quite normal, and could have had good friends, if she wasn't so damn annoying. She was, as harsh as it sounds, a pity a friend, and lunchtime just wasn't normal if the phrase "Shut up Kerry!" wasn't shouted at least once.

Then there was Beccy, the loud, overpowering one who loved a friendly fight, but when anything got serious she would run away claiming she hated confrontation, go figure. But we all loved her, she was a softie at heart.

Sophie is the sweetest person I have ever met in my life, so quiet and considerate. Of course, anybody who mattered couldn't see past the fact that she was slightly over weight (ok maybe a bit more than slightly, but I'm trying to be nice).

I would have to say though, Samara was my favourite, and probably for the simple fact that she was the most like me, we had a special connection, along with sharing a lot of the same interests. We never ran out of things to talk about, and when there was something wrong with one of us, the other knew instantly. She is the only one that knows about my powers, and she is the only one of my friends that I have told about my being bi. It's not that I'm ashamed, it is just something that I am not comfortable with being public knowledge.

Choosing a seat close to the back of the bus, I sat down and resumed listening to my music, it was _Dreams _by the Cranberries, I loved the way it sounded, so soft, harmonious and yet strangely haunting.

_All my life,  
is changing every day,_

_in every possible way._

_And all my dreams,_

_are never quite as it seems,_

_never quite as it seems._

The people that were slowly filling up the bus (god how I hate buses) looked, on the whole, like normal conventional teenagers. I found myself analysing each one, wondering what his or her power was. And for that reason, I didn't notice when the bus turned onto a blocked road that ended with a rather nasty drop off a half finished bridge.

Ok, I might want to explain something before you see my reaction. When I was little I developed this horrible fear of buses, it seemed to me to be a very understandable phobia, afterall isn't there something very unsettling about a large cumbersome vehicle filled with screaming children and a slightly unhinged driver? I think so, and for that reason I could never tolerate more than half an hour on a bus, otherwise I would begin to hyperventilate, scream and once I even fainted.

Now, how do you think I was going to handle my bus flying off the end of a bridge? You guessed it, not well. As soon as the seat belts appeared from nowhere and the metal bar dropped down over my lap I noticed where the bus was headed, and I swear, my heart almost stopped. My parents had NOT warned me about this. Needless to say I was screaming long before the bus flew off the bridge, and I was hyperventilating by the time the two minute ride was over. Before the seat belts strapped over my shoulder had a chance to retract my entire body was ablaze and they melted in the heat, and just as the bus touched down i was up, grabbing my bag and storming to the front of the bus, ignoring the indignant yelps of those who got burned in passing.

I was still on fire as I stalked up the stairs to the entrance on Sky High, and only powered down when the principal demanded I do so. It was at that point, as the other juniors were reluctantly approaching that I quietly informed her that she would have to organize alternate transport for me, unless of course she wanted an entire bus full of students to go crashing down to earth in a fiery heap. I think she got the point, although it earned me a detention.

After a short speech on what a wonderful journey we had ahead of us, Principal Powers directed us towards the gym, the new junior class was larger than usual (around 150 students), and so it was expected that power placement would take up at least half the day. We were the last bus-load to arrive, so we were sent off quickly to join the rest of our year.

When we arrived the gym was already packed, I groaned inwardly, after the bus incident I was feeling particularly claustrophobic. It's at time like these when I am glad my last name begins with a letter so close to the beginning of the alphabet, so with any luck, I could get power placement out of the way within the next hour, then disappear for a while to get back my bearings.

The first girl off the list was a tall brunette who could levitate, unfortunately for her, she could only get a few inches off the ground, and therefore Coach Boomer (in his ridiculously short gym shorts) loudly announced the dreaded word "SIDEKICK!" The next guy, Brent-something could transform his skin into an impenetrable exoskeleton that could withstand having a car dropped on it. He obviously got "Hero." And so it went on, I kinda zoned out, only noticing the most interesting super powers, like the girl who was her own personal bubble machine. Boomer almost announced her as a sidekick until he noticed the highly acidic effect of said bubbles. When it came to my turn, I was lost in my own world, and so Boomer quite literally had to BOOM to get my attention. Scared the shit out of me. I sheepishly made my way onto the platform, then turned to meet the expectant gazes of the rest of my year.

"Power?" Asked coach Boomer, not very nicely I might add.  
"I'm a pyrokinetic." I powered up, allowing my entire arms to be encased in wicked red flames. Coach Boomer smiled.  
"CAR!" I squeaked, (oh the shame) but instantly reacted, sending a short series of basketball sized fire balls at the offending vehicle, effectively destroying it. I smiled triumphantly when Boomer loudly announced me as a hero.

On my way to the gym I had noticed a sign pointing to the girls bathroom, so as soon as I got off the platform I was on my way. I found it easily enough, and was even more relieved to find it empty. I stared at myself in the mirror for a few minutes, taking in my long black hair that was held of my face by two strands pulled back behind my head in what Samara had always referred to as a 'very elf-like hair style', and the complimentary black eye make up. Nothing drastic, just some black eyeliner and mascara to highlight the deep indigo colour of my eyes. I was wearing my trademark colours, black and pink. More exactly, a pink singlet with a long sleeved off the shoulder black top over it, hipster black cords, and my treasured pink converse basketball shoes. I also wore some jewelery, the permanent things such as my labrette bar (a small stud just under my lip, in the centre of course) and tongue bar, the sterling silver sleepers in the second holes in my ears, and my silver necklace with Irish Harp pendant. I was also wearing pink drop earrings in the first holes in my ears, as well as a few silver bracelets and rings.

I sighed and pulled my hair over one shoulder then splashed some water on my face (ahh the wonders of waterproof mascara!). Just as I straightened up to grab some paper towels the levitating tall brunette entered the room. Up close she was even taller than I had estimated, at least 6''2, which made me feel even shorter than I really was (5''4). Ok so I am short, big deal! Good things come in small packages. Tall brunette smiled at her and extended her hand.

"I'm Jane." I smiled back, feeling more friendly after securing some time to myself.  
"Jessie." Her grip was firm, and she had a nice strong shake. My dad always used to say that you could tell a lot about a person from the way they shook your hand.

"You're the girl from the bus this morning." Oh god. "Don't worry, If I could control fire I probably would have had the same reaction." I smiled, at least she wasn't judging me for it. I opened my mouth to respond when the door opened again and another tall (albeit not as tall as Jane, but still taller than me) brunette entered.

"Oh my god, are you like, actually talking to that sidekick?" I blinked, realising the question was directed at me. "Coz you know this school runs on a certain etiquette code, which clearly states tat heroes and sidekicks do not associate with each other!" She strode over to me confidently and extended her small, perfectly manicured hand. "My name is Amy, I'm a shapeshifter."

"Jessie, pyrokinetic." I stated very matter-of-factly. A bell rang, and Amy cheerfully announced it as the bell that signals lunch, and then she linked arms with me and literally dragged me out of the room. Ugh, as much as I felt like I was betraying myself, I really wanted to get off on the right foot at this school, so with an apologetic glance at Jane, I allowed Amy to escort me to the cafeteria.

A/N: Ok, slow first chapter I know. But I wanted to get all the icky set up done before really threw myself into the actual story, so please review and tell me what you thought.


	2. A Fiery Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else from _Sky High_, and make no financial gain from this story so please don't sue.

**I Know My Place**

I stared down in horror at the ... the ... thing sitting on my lunch tray. Did they actually expect me to eat it! I pushed it away from me, wrinkling my nose in disgust, then lent my elbows on the table and looked at the people surrounding me. I could not believe how shallow they were! All they seemed to want to talk about was fashion and boys, like they were the two most important things in the world. When I had attempted to start a discussion about favourite books I had been met with a lot of giggling. It was at that point that I quite firmly decided this would be the first and only time I sat at this table. Unfortunately for me that would mean pissing off the most popular girls in my year. Just wonderful, what a way to start a new school. But after spending the entirety of lunch listening to them talk, I decided I would much rather be a loser than spend two years with friends like these girls.

To their credit they did make an effort to involve me, and that was kind of sweet. But as hard as I tried, I just couldn't seem to find much to say about the new range of sweaters at B.I.A (a popular clothes shop in the mall).

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when lunch finished, and I rushed ahead to my next class before any of them could attach themselves to me. I arrived first to some class called Mad Science, and chose a seat at the back of the room. The teacher (biggest head I had ever seen in my life) identified himself as Mr. Medulla and smiled at me approvingly, commenting that he was pleased with my enthusiasm and punctuality. The class filled up quickly and I ended up sitting next to a shy red head named Bianca. She was actually pretty nice, and was a technopath, which delighted me to no end when the teacher described the junior course to us. Basically it consisted of building ray guns, bombs and other cool things, as well as knowing how to deactivate any ray gun or bomb that might be possessed by a villain. Just as the class ended to my surprise, Bianca leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Look forward to two years of straight A's" then she winked at me and was gone, running off to her next class.

I pulled out my schedule and was happy to find I had a free period ... well, they were meant to be 'study' periods, but most students saw them as opportunities for sleep, music or social gatherings. I decided to go visit Principal Powers, first of all to try and organize some other way to get to and from school, and secondly to try and weasel out of my after-school detention.

As I approached the large white doors of the office I noticed a slouched figure sitting on a bench just across the hall, above it was a plaque that loudly announced "Trouble Makers." And he sure as hell looked like one. Shoulder-length black hair with red highlights, dark eyes, broad shoulders and a dark tan. He was glaring at the floor in front of his combat boots, and his fists were clenched. I couldn't help myself but smile, put aside the bad ass and this guy was pretty good looking, scrap that, he was hot! As I got closer he looked up and his glare intensified when he saw I was staring. Dropping my head I hurried past and slipped through the doors before he decided to give me a personal demonstration of his powers. Twenty minutes later and I still had detention (which would take place at lunch tomorrow), which put me in a bad mood, and it didn't get any better when I was informed that the only other transportation that could be arranged was flying with a senior, some guy named Will had agreed to take me to and from school. Just my luck, get to be groped everyday by some guy who outranks me. Not my idea of fun, but admittedly more appealing than the bus. So I agreed, very reluctantly.

On my way out I noticed that the scary guy was gone. I couldn't make up my mind as to whether it was good or not, he really was quite easy on the eyes. All that aside, I headed to the library as directed by Principal Powers, to meet with Will, the guy who had agreed to be my ride to and from school.

The librarian ambushed me as soon as I walked through the door and I was left speechless after a five minute lecture about the importance of treating books with the utmost care. Then she introduced herself as Mrs. Griffin and pointed Will out to me when I asked. My eyes followed the direction of her finger and fell on this scrawny little guy sitting with a girl dressed like a hippie. HE was meant to be able to carry me? _HAH_. I made my way over to him nervously, hoping that maybe the librarian had heard me wrong, or had poor eyesight.

"Will?" I asked in a small voice. He looked up at me and smiled warmly.  
"You must be Jessie. It's great to meet you! This is my girlfriend Layla." he said, pointed to the red head beside him. She waved and smiled at me. I smiled back. They didn't seem so bad. There was an awkward silence, then Layla spoke in a squeaky voice that could only be described as cute.  
"So what power do you have?"  
"I'm a pyrokinetic" I said proudly, seriously though, what power is cooler than being able to control fire? To my astonishment Layla giggled, my face must have shown my confusion.  
"Oh don't mind me," she was still smiling, "It's just that we have a friend who was quite pleased when the other two pyrokinetics that went here graduated last year. He wont be impressed to discover he has competition again." _Oh great._ After discussing the particulars of where and when to meet each day and being invited to sit at a table with seniors (which I still have decided upon accepting) I made my way outside for the rest of the period to listen to some music. The haunting voice of Dolores O'Riordan (aka lead singer of the Cranberries) filled my head, and I closed my eyes and laid back against a tree.

_Another head hangs lowly_

_child is slowly taken_

_And the violence caused such silence_

_Who are we mistaken?_

_But you see it's not me,_

_it's not my family_

_In your head_

_In your head they are fighting_

_With their tanks_

_and their bombs_

_and their bombs_

_and their guns_

_in your head _

_in your head _

_they are crying_

_In your head _

_in your head _

_Zombie, Zombie, Zombie!_

_Whats in your head _

_I your head_

_Zombie! Zombie! Zombie!_

When the bell rang I ran towards the brick wall beside the front entrance to wait for Will. I was kind of nervous about flying, but I trusted him so in a way I was also excited. As I was running my mobile phone started beeping at me, signaling a message, but while I was wrestling with my bag (which was determined in keeping my phone from me) I ran head first into something very solid which made me fall back and land square on my ass. And to my horror, looking up I discovered that it was not a something I had run into, but a someone. The same someone who I had seen earlier in the hallway. And compared to now, he had looked extremely happy on our first encounter. Stumbling to my feet I was about to apologise when suddenly his arms were on fire and he was taking on an offensive stance. _Craaaap!_ I put my arms out in front of me and backed away, but he just advanced, looking more pissed off by the second, and I realised that the only way to get out of this alive was to fight fire with fire, quite literally. So I powered up.

"Please don't make me hurt you." I begged, it was then that I noticed his shocked expression, and then with a roar he hurled two fireballs at me, which I expertly dodged, but the effect was ruined by me squeaking. I am after all, only human. Well, super human, same difference! He was about to attack again when a familiar voice cut through the air, sounding rather pissed!  
"Warren! What the hell?" And to my total surprise, with one final glare, the flames were gone and he was stalking off towards a bus.

I powered down, and just kind of stood, rooted to the spot in what could only be described as shock, my brain trying to digest what had just happened. Will and Layla ran up to me, asking if I was ok, I nodded numbly, then realised something.  
"Wait ... HE is your friend!" I must have had the strangest expression on my face, because both Will and Layla burst out laughing.


	3. A Date with Detention

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else from _Sky High_, and make no financial gain from this story so please don't sue.

**I Know My Place**

Flying, I have decided, is fun. Really really fun! You get this feeling in your body that makes you feel more alive than you ever have before. The only thing I remembered once Will set me down again was screaming in his ear something to the effect of "I could get used to this!" After apologising again for Warren's behavior, Will took off, and for the first time in my life I found myself envying someone else's power. I know, I know, my mum can fly, but she retired when I was born, and hasn't used her powers since then. I was suddenly hit with an overwhelming urge to hug my mum, I never realised until exactly what she had given up for me and dad, for a normal family life.

_The next morning_

When I woke up I was shocked to discover I was in a very ... girly mood. And so for this reason I found myself leaving the house in a pink sun dress that came down to just above my knees and white lace over the chest. I also got my mum to put a pink insert into my hair, and had it hanging unrestrained around my face. I wore a black bra, just for the contrast between black and pink straps. And of course my high top pink converse shoes. And for a rare moment I felt pretty. At my old school I was always an outcast. My friends would always compliment me, but it felt kind of hollow, like they were obliged to say it. No guys ever found me attractive, and therefore I never felt attractive. Until Sarah. She was my first kiss, and although there was never a relationship, for the first time in my life she made me feel beautiful. And for some reason I felt that way again now.

When I saw Will waiting for me I suddenly realised the one flaw of my outfit. It was a skirt, and I was going to be flying. In a skirt. _Crap! _Will raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, lucky for him, because he would have gotten himself roasted! Surprisingly there wasn't much of a fuss in the end, I just made sure i kept hold of the hem and it was fine. We arrived with the first bus, which was good because it meant I had plenty of time to go to my locker. I thanked Will and headed towards the school.

As I closed my locker I got that feeling you get when someone is staring at you, I turned around slowly and was surprised to find Warren leaning against the row of lockers looking directly at me with an unreadable expression on his face. After a while our staring competition was starting to creep me out so I turned back to my locker, closed it gently, snapped the lock on and walked away. All the way down the hall I could still feel his eyes on my back.

The first half of the day was running smoothly, and I was actually enjoying myself, until I remembered my lunchtime date with detention. I considered taking my sweet time, but decided against it seeing as it would only get me in more trouble. Principal Powers was waiting for me when I got there, and gave me some big speech about how I was better than this and that she never wanted to see me here again. I nodded when appropriate, then rolled my eyes as soon as her back was turned. She opened a big white door that lead into a blindingly white room and of course, there was Warren, decked out in leather and his ever present glare. I groaned inwardly, this was going to be a very long lunch.

I made two very important discoveries while in the detention room today. One was that if you stare at glowing white walls for long enough, you give yourself a rather nasty headache. Second, Warren Peace isn't as scary as he looks, I actually feel really bad now, because as much as I hate being judged on appearance, I had been doing it to him. It was after I had conducted my staring competition with the wall that I decided I needed a panadol before it became a full-force migraine. But digging through my messenger bag was a big disappointment. Not only did I have no drugs, but no water either. I groaned and sank back into my chair, holding my head between my hands.

"You ok?" A gruff voice interrupted my painful reverie.  
"Do I look like I'm ok!" I really didn't mean to snap, but you know the feeling when a migraine is coming on and there is nothing you can do to stop it? Well it doesn't really make you the friendliest person in the world, especially when stupid questions get thrown into the equation. I sighed. "Sorry, just a headache. Damn white walls." And he laughed! Laughed! I shot daggers at him with my eyes. Oh if only looks could kill. And he glared back.

He was lucky this damn room neutralised powers, because I would have fried him right then and there. I turned my head away from him and a wave of nausea washed over me. _Oh god no, not here, not in front of him!_ No luck, to avoid messing up my dress, I lent over and quite loudly disposed of my breakfast. Tears stung my eyes as I ran out of food and started dry retching, stomach acid burning all the way up my throat. I vaguely registered a loud voice and banging, but was quickly overcome with another round of throwing up nothing but my natural stomach lining. God it hurt. I felt myself being lifted from my seat, either that or I was falling. Strong warm arms supported me until finally I blacked out.

When I woke up I was in a completely dark room. I opened and closed my eyes a few times to make sure I really was surrounded by darkness, as opposed to being incapable of opening my eyes. I shifted slightly on the bed and instantly regretted it, all the pain came rushing back to me, and my head felt like it was about to float away. I groaned and closed my eyes again.

Distant voices...

"It's nothing more than a migraine, and although painful, it will go away eventually. The best thing for her to do is sleep. So you might want to leave her here overnight. Moving her will only make her feel worse." I recognised it as the school nurse.

"Should we both stay with her? I'm on call, and I left my phone at home, so we will have to go and get it, as well as clothes and anything else she'll need." It was my mum, I tried opening my eyes but it didn't work so well this time. The voices were still distant.

"I have to leave early for work tomorrow, is there anyway I could get back in time?" It was my dad this time.

"If you want, I'll stay with her." I knew that voice too, and it belonged to that last person I would have thought would sit with me through the long dark hours of the night.  
"Why Mr. Peace, that is very generous of you..."

A/N: Sorry this chapter is short, but it sets it up for the next one which will hopefully be a bit longer.


	4. Tattooed Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else from _Sky High_, and make no financial gain from this story so please don't sue. I also don't own the song, _Vermilion Part 2 _by Slipknot.

**I Know My Place**

I woke up to darkness and the smell of leather. I was surprised to find all my previous pain gone, and even more amazingly, was that my mind was alert and clear. I lay quietly for a minute, allowing my senses to become accustomed to my surroundings. I could hear breathing, deep and steady. I let the sound wash over me, it was constant and soft, likes waves at a beach. I was so caught up in listening to it that I almost allowed it to lull me back to sleep.

"Where am I?" I whispered, shocking myself momentarily with the weakness of my voice. I heard movement, the eerie crunch of leather and soft rustle of fabric, then a small fire began to glow off the my right, and a series of memories came flooding back, a half-remembered conversation, and finally Warren offering to stay with me.

In the dim light of the flickering flame his eyes seemed even darker than usual, yet his face was soft. I sat up slowly, still in my pink dress. I groaned, my head no longer hurt, but now nearly every muscle in my body felt as though it had been bruised beyond repair, the feeling I assume you would get after being hit by a bus. I managed to pull myself into a sitting position, with my legs dangling over the edge of the bed without completely wearing myself out. This was definitely the worst migraine I'd ever had. Warren still hadn't spoken, he hadn't even moved. So I repeated my question. Thankfully he responded, explaining that we were in a room that joined onto the nurses office. He seemed to pause, then to my surprised, asked if there was anything I needed.

"A glass of water would be nice." I couldn't believe how thirsty I was. He nodded and left the room, returning quickly with a plastic cup. Unfortunately my hands decided it was time to stop working, and the only thing I succeeded in doing was wetting Warren's shoes. But before I could say anything, he was gone again, and when he returned he had another cup, which he then proceeded to hold gently to my lips, allowing me to drink. I drained the lot of it in one go, and without needing to say a word, he went and got me more.

"Have you slept at all?" After getting some water into me I was feeling considerably better, and had noticed the time, 2am. A ridiculously early hour of the morning.

"Not really." He was so soft spoken, and usually it was scary, but now it was different. The normal menacing undertones were gone, replaced by something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I smiled at him, somehow comforted that he had kept a diligent watch over me as I slept.

"Thanks." I found myself unconsciously slipping back onto the bed, my eye lids closing of their own accord ... but before I was fully asleep I felt a hand softly brush my hair back from my face.

I was so glad when I could finally go home, even though I had only spent the night at school I felt like I hadn't seen my room in a year. Ron, the sweetest bus driver in the world, flew me home first thing in the morning (to my disappointment Warren was gone by the time I woke up). My mum tucked me into bed after a much needed shower, and I slept most of the day, the deep kind of sleep that is filled with pleasant dreams and leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

But still mum insisted I take another day off school, just to be sure. I reluctantly agreed. If only for the extra time to plan on how to act towards Warren. And to figure out where we stood, were we friends? The more I thought about it, the more I confused myself, so in the end I decided that I would just have to ask him.

Although I had successfully escaped flashing the whole world when I wore a skirt while flying, I was not willing to risk it again. But unfortunately I was in another of my uncharacteristically "girly" moods. So to compensate for the lack of skirt, I wore long black satin pants with lace inserts around the bottom and down the sides, and a rather daring pink halter-neck. Ok so you are probably thinking _What is so daring about a halter-neck?_ Well my halter neck also had no back, which showed off something I usually prefer to keep hidden. My tattoo. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it is my own design, and somehow feels very personal. Sarah was the first person to ever see it. She made the biggest fuss over it, gently tracing over it with her finger, murmuring softly about how gorgeous it was. I pulled on my high-top converse shoes, grabbed my bag from the floor and ran out of my bedroom to go and meet will, banishing all thoughts of Sarah from my head. For now.

I met Will at our usual spot and was quite thoroughly surprised when he almost crushed me in a bear hug! I noticed his shocked expression when he caught a brief glimpse of the black pattern running down my spine, but he said nothing. When I could breathe again we took off for school, and a tight feeling started to form in the pit of my stomach.

By the time we reached Sky High, the tight feeling had become a wreathing knot that twisted and contorted every time I even so much as thought of Warren. Not a good sign. Will dropped me off, gave me another hug and then ran off to find Layla. I walked slowly and reluctantly towards the main entrance, battling all the way with myself over why I was so nervous about seeing a certain pyrokinetic. There was still at least twenty minutes before the first bell, so the halls were relatively empty. I rushed towards my locker, intent on getting safely from there to homeroom without a confrontation. I could not believe how I was acting, but I just didn't know what to do. For some reason all thoughts of him made me feel light headed, and that was not good.

The first half of the day went smoothly, not only did I successfully avoid Warren, but I also got an 'A' in Mad Science for my Ice Ray gun, although I have a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Bianca, but hey, an 'A' is an 'A', I am not complaining. There were only a few small glitches, like the constant whispering, _is that a tattoo? Who does she think she is? Is she trying to be cool?_ But I didn't let it bother me, I was in a decent mood for once. In fact, I was in such a good mood that I was seriously considering taking Will and Layla up on their offer joining them for lunch. But as I approached the cafeteria, I got the distinct feeling that someone was staring at me. I turned around slowly, but there was no one there. I surprised myself by sighing in relief. But I still couldn't shake the creepy feeling, I turned quickly, and let out a soft (and embarrassing) squeak when I found myself facing an insanely tall guy that I recognised from my Mad Science class. He moved closer to me, and I found myself unconsciously backing away. There was something about him I didn't like, I would even go as far as to say he scared me.

When my back ran into the cold hard metal lockers my heart almost stopped. I could have called for help, or just fried the guy, but for some reason my logic center was 'out-of-order', and all I could do was stare in horror as he quickly closed the remaining distance between us. He smiled, and all the little hairs on the back of my neck stood upright as goosebumps sped down my spine. What the hell was with this guy?

"I noticed your tattoo." His voice was soft, and really really creepy. It reminded me of what I imagined snakes would sound like if they could talk. "I like it" He whispered in my ear, his hot breath on my skin making me want to vomit. I finally found my voice.

"Get off me." _Dammit_, my voice was barely above a whisper and was shaky as all hell. He just smiled again and his hand began to sneak around my waist, while the other tangled itself in my hair. I opened my mouth to protest, but all that came out was a startled yelp as I felt him rip a small chunk of my hair out! He glanced to his left and a look of shock washed over his face, then he quickly turned back to me and sniffed my hair.

"You smell good." Then he was gone, and I mean, literally gone. I blinked a few times, my hand rubbing the sore spot on my head where he had pulled my hair out. My head jolted up at the sound of the cafeteria doors swinging shut, but there was no one there. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but suddenly I decided that the company of some seniors would be most welcome. So I would take Will and Layla up on their offer.

The cafeteria was large, noisy and exactly the way I remembered it, accept now i felt someone's eyes on me, and the gaze was so unsettling that I instantly felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. My eyes scanned the room, and quickly located Layla, in a bright green outfit that made her look more like a hippie than usual. I wound my way through the maze of tables, ignoring the whispers and pointing and making the decision to never show my tattoo at school again. I lowered my head and kept moving, I didn't need their approval. I had almost reached my desired destination when I noticed the only spare seat was at the end of the table, and right next to Warren. This really wasn't turning out to be my day. I spun around quickly, silently praying to a god I have never believed in that they hadn't noticed me yet. Again, no luck.

"Jessie! Over here" Layla's clear, chirpy voice cut through the air, making me wince. There was no way I could get out of it now, so I turned around, put on my best fake smile and walked over to the table. I was introduced to the group; some little nerdy guy named Ethan, a blond named Zach, a shapeshifter, who looked way too much like Sarah for comfort, named Magenta, and of course Warren. They all smiled brightly accept for Warren, who didn't even look up. But I barely noticed, I numbly took my seat and let their laughter talk wash over me. It was like she was there again, sitting in front of me. I sat, staring at Magenta, but not seeing the purple haired shapeshifter. Sarah...

_She seemed dressed in all of me  
Stretched across my shame,  
All the torment and the pain  
Leaked through and covered me._

"It's so beautiful, I'm so impressed you actually did it. But I always believed in you." Sarah's eyes sparkled as she traced the small intricate pattern tattooed on my lower back. Her fingers barely touched my skin, but I could feel everywhere she had touched like I had been burned.

_I'd do anything to have her to myself,  
Just to have her for myself._

"You believe in me?" I barely recognised my own voice, and I wondered if she knew the effect she had on me.  
"Of course Jessie, and I will always be here for you." Her arms wrapped around me from behind, and I sank back into her, addicted to the feel of her soft, naked skin against my own.

"Promise?"  
"I promise."

_Now I don't know what to do,  
I don't know what to do  
When she makes me sad._

There were secrets that Sarah kept from me. Dangerous secrets. I could never seem to make up in my mind what was worse, the feeling of betrayal, or the feeling of being totally alone. The last thing I ever said to her before I closed off a part of myself forever still haunts me, I relive the moment every night in my dreams.

"You said you would always be there for me...you promised. Sarah, how could you lie to me?"

_She is everything to me,  
The unrequited dream,  
The song that no one sings,  
The unattainable.  
She's a myth that I have to believe in..._

The bell rang, and I realised that I was sitting with my head on the table, ignoring the world. I heard them talking, asking if I was asleep, so I pretended to be, to avoid any uncomfortable explanations. Layla 'woke' me, and I was greeted with sympathetic looks. They were all thinking I still wasn't well after my killer migraine, and I let them. I shrugged off offers of help and moved off towards class, but not before noticing Warren. He hadn't moved from his seat, but he was looking at me with an unreadable expression, but something in his eyes knew. I turned and hurried from the cafeteria before he decided he wanted to talk.


End file.
